


Something Rather Wonderful

by GinnyGinger



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Background Cherik, Because its peter you know, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hugging, Peter tells Erik, Post-Apocalypse, Some bad language, because i really wanted to see that happen, bonding in the library
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 09:57:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12318696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyGinger/pseuds/GinnyGinger
Summary: "So you'll rather go your whole life wondering?" Erik asked and damn if that wasn't a question Peter had asked himself enough already.-Peter Maximoff has for months been trying to work up the courage to tell Erik the truth. Maybe to day is the day.





	Something Rather Wonderful

**Author's Note:**

> So I've read hundreds of stories of how this scenario plays out, and I decided many months after the trend was over to try the same.

Peter wanted to tell him. He really, really did. He had wanted to tell him since his mother had sat him down and shared her long and tragic story of loving a man and running away from him in fear, only to discover she was pregnant and unable to find him again. So Peter had found him instead. He hadn't even been looking, but stumbled upon him anyway, and suddenly ha was dragged into a world his mother had been desperate to keep him from. The world of Erik Lehnsherr. 

 

For all her attempts to hide the mutant world from her son, he had made his way in anyway. In retrospect she should've known he would. And now here he was, at Xavier's academy, had his own room only two doors down from Ororo, across the hall from Kurt, and two floors under his big, terrifying, none-the-wiser  _father._

 

Charles had finally managed to persuade Erik into staying. Why anyone would stay somewhere purely because of chess and whiskey was beyond Peter, so he guessed Charles also had used dirtier, grosser tricks. Tricks that Peter did not want to think about, no thank you. No one should imagine their own parents having sex, not even if said parent his unaware of the relation. Peter just settled at being happy that Erik had stayed after all, trying not to focus on the reasons behind it. 

 

He liked to think that maybe Erik stayed because of him to. He might not know what they were, but Peter felt that they had formed some sort of friendship over the few months that had passed since the school had been rebuild. And if they were friends now, then surely they would also be friends as father and son, if Peter ever got the courage to tell him. 

 

A courage he really tried to summon now, as he was standing just inside the door in the library and watched his father read. Erik hadn't noticed his presence yet, or maybe he had, just chose to ignore it. Anyhow, his nose was buried in a unnecessary large book and Peter wondered if he should talk to him or just simply leave again. 

 

"Ehm... Hi Erik?" He said in a slightly more hushed voice than usual. The older man looked up from whatever volume he was reading in surprise.  So he hadn't noticed. Sweet. Knowledge that he was able to sneak up on Erik  _fucking_  Lehnsherr could come to good use. Later though. Much later. Later when was positive that any pranks he might pull wouldn't throw him into Erik's list of people he disliked. 

 

"Peter! What are you doing up here? This isn't exactly what I would call your scene" he said and gestured towards their surroundings . The fact that he wasn't told to immediately fuck of was almost an invitation for a conversation so Peter walked closer and settled in the chair beside his father.  

 

"Just exploring parts of the mansion I haven't spend time in before" He said explained airily. Was that a good excuse? It would have to do he decided. 

 

"And it's kinda boring here now that most of the student have gone home for the week" 

 

Erik nodded in sympathy. Charles had given all the students the week of, so that even the ones with family far away could go home to visit. There were still a handfull left here, Ororo for example, but a lot less than usual. Peter missed almost all of them. 

 

"I thought you would go home as well, DC isn't an ungodly time away from here" Erik said. It wasn't voiced as a question, but Peter heard it anyway. 

 

"My mom is working all week, double shifts mostly, and my sister is still in school. I wouldn't really see them that much if I went home" He hoped that he seemed carefree enough about it, that it didn't bother him at all, not being able to go home and see his family. Or most of them. A rather crucial part was sitting opposite him after all. 

 

"You could go talk to your father" Erik suggested. In the corner of Peters mind a sarcastic voice was saying `already am´. 

 

He had told Erik some of his family situation, just enough that he wouldn't ask more questions. A little retelling of his life growing up with his mom and later little sister, his dad long gone somewhere. But then Erik had wondered if Peter had ever wanted to find him, and thats when it became complicated. He had said that he knew who he was, which wasn't a lie, because he did. He had said that his father knew of his existence, because Erik was well aware that Peter was indeed alive. And he stopped there. Let Erik think that his father knew him, but didn't have any interest in spending time with his only son. It was easier for now. Not really a lie. Just not giving all the information. 

 

"Dude, I told you we have a rather complicated relationship"

 

"Maybe you should try to fix it" 

 

"Its not much to fix" 

 

"Peter, take it from someone who used to have a family, but doesn't anymore. Talk. To. Him"  

 

I am talking to him, Peter wanted to say. He wanted so bad to let the secret out and be done with it and deal with the consequences later. 

 

"He doesn't know man" Peter said, and regretted almost immediately that he let loose that piece of information. 

 

"What?" 

 

"He knows that exist, its true. But he doesn't know that I exist because of him, you know". Fuck fuck fucking fuck, why did that come out of his mouth. Erik doesn't need to know, not now. The more pieces of information he gives him, the easier it gets for Erik to figure it out, and this is not something Peter wants Erik to learn on his own and then hating Peter for being to much of a coward to say it to his face before. 

 

"You know each other and you haven't told him?" Well, based on Erik reaction to the fact does not make Peter willing to tell him more. Peter squirmed in his chair. I wished he could run. And he could. Technically. But if he did Erik would know something was up and would not give until he learned the truth. ` _Row, row, row you fucking boat you moron´_ Peter thought desperately. 

 

"Its just that his life has been pretty fucked up too, and I don't know what his reaction will be if I choose to tell him" he tried to explain. Shit, fuck, holy mother of everything sacred, that was not the right thing to say. 

 

"So you'll rather go your whole life wondering?" Erik asked and damn if that wasn't a question Peter had asked himself enough already. 

 

"I dont know, dude! Maybe I will. Its better to dream that he might be happy, than actually telling him and facing rejection" _Still rowing in the wrong direction there Pete._

 

"Why wouldn't he be happy? I dont believe anything will ever mess up a man so much that he wouldn't rejoice at the knowledge of having a son" Erik's words hit Peter hard in the chest. It was so easy for him to say  that now, when he doesn't know. It was so easy to give others advice on whats right or wrong, but people rarely follow their own logic when its their turn to seek advice. 

 

Peter wondered what it would've been like, if he had told Erik in Cairo. That he was there for his family too, and not just because all mutants are family, but because Erik was his father. Peter wasn't sure Erik would've even believed him, not until he dropped his mothers name anyway. And even then, maybe he'd just run away before Charles had the time to talk him out of it. It would've been the most awkward flight  _ever_  if Erik knew and still came back with them though. Maybe it was for the best that he was kept in the dark. Maybe it was for the best if Erik stayed in the dark forever. 

 

But that wouldn't be fair. Peter knew with himself at least, he would've been pissed if Erik knew that Peter was his son, but still didn't tell him. If Peter later learned from someone else while also learning that Erik had known the entire time. He would've been happy to have a dad and he would've been pissed that said dad and kept the information from him. And wasn't that exactly what Peter wanted to avoid, to have Erik mad at him. At least if he told him sooner rather than later, the ball would be in Erik's corner. If he chose to hate Peter for it, it wouldn't be Peters fault for not telling him, it would be his fathers fault for being an ass about it. 

 

"Would you be happy?" Peter asked tentatively.  He had given up trying to get himself out if this situation with his secret intact. A voice inside of him kept whispering now og never. 

 

"What do you mean?"  

 

"Say, just hypothetically of course, that someone came up to you and said that you were their dad. Would you be happy?" It was a risky question but fuck it, in this moment he didn't care. Maybe he would tomorrow, probably. Not now though, now he was ready to spill. 

 

"I would be surprised. And not likely to believe it until I had some sort of proof, but I think in the end, yes, I would be happy" 

 

And what sort of proof did Peter have really. His mothers name, what else. Nothing. And his mothers name is something he could've easily figure out from other sources. But at the same time, what would he gain from making that claim if it was false. Why would anyway say that Erik was their dad unless it was true?  Peter guessed there weren't many people who would've picked out Erik as their father voluntary. 

 

"So you wouldn't think  that they tried to replace what you have lost?" That was an even risiker question, and when he saw Erik's lips drawing into a thin line he almost thought the man would stand up and walk a way. 

 

"No" Came a short reply. 

 

"I believe any child would want their parents to love them and know of their relation, the circumstances doesn't matter" Erik's voice was painfully tense, and Peter knew he had overstepped. 

 

"Oh, okey"  _Lame, Maximoff, really fucking lame._

 

A few moments of silence followed. He didn't know where to go from there. It didn't feel natural to drop the bomb right then, but didn't feel natural to just let the matter hang and get back to it over breakfast tomorrow either. Erik sighed and it brought Peter back from his thoughts. 

 

"Talk to him, Peter. Any man deserves to know" 

 

Peter was about to reply when Erik suddenly stood up, picked up the book and started to walk away. Fuck no, no, no. He couldn't leave now, not when Peter was inches away from dropping the biggest plot twist ever, right in Erik's lap. 

 

"Wait!" Shit, fuck, holy crap, what now? 

 

Erik turned around and Peter pictured himself as 5 years old, when his mother tried to get him to swim. The water was so cold, but he wanted to do like she said, he wanted to make her proud. He saw himself take a deep breath, count to three and then he dove in. 

 

"You're him!" 

 

Erik expression didn't give him much to go on so he continued. 

 

"You want me to talk to him, fine. I have, I am right now" Maybe he should've stopped to let Erik get a word in, but know that he had jumped right into it, he just kept going rapidly, almost not stopping to breath in between words.  

 

"You had a thing with my mother, Magda, years and years ago, but then she left and you disappeared and I kinda found you again long before my mom told me anything about you. And then you dropped a baseball stadium on the white house and she told me everything but you were gone again somewhere and you got a new family and I was looking for you, and then I found you again but I was too late. They were already dead and you were already gone and I thought I had messed up and lost you all over again, but then came Cairo and even then I didn't manage to say anything to you, and I've been trying for months to work up the courage-" 

 

Eriks sudden hands on his shoulders stopped his ramblings. His father had walked closer without Peter noticing and now he was simply staring straight into his fathers chest, trying to catch his breath again. 

 

"Peter, young man, more slowly now, tell me. Your mothers name, what is it?" Erik's voice was unnaturally calm for someone who had just gained a son. 

 

"Back then it was Magda Eisenhard" he said, his voice almost a whisper. The two seconds it took Erik to digest this information felt as two hours to Peter, and he was almost ready to run out the door when Erik spoke again. 

 

"So the whole thing about the hypothetical scenario, that I would be happy if I learned I had a son, it isn't so hypothetical is it?" Now is fathers voice sounded more affected. Good, peter thought. At least he's reacting. 

 

Peter just shook his head, and when he was about to open his mouth to answer no, he was surprised to hear a small sob escaping him instead. He could feel his eyes starting to sting from the tears threatening to spill over and when the arms on his shoulders went around his back and brought him into a hug, he couldn't fight them anymore. 

 

For the first time ever in his life, he was being held by his father and all the doubts he might've had before flew out the window and down to Antartica. Erik was happy, Erik was hugging him. Peter had hated growing up without a proper father, but in this moment he thought maybe those years might be worth it if it all had lead up to this. 

 

"Hush now, Peter. It's all right. I'm here, I'll always be here. I don' hate you, not it the slightest. I'm actually very very happy" And oh my god those words made Peter cry even harder. Never, in a thousand years, would he have guessed that Erik's voice could be so soft and reassuring. 

 

Peter sniffled and hugged his father tighter. This was much better, he figured. Much better than wondering what Erik might say the day Peter decided to tell him. It felt a lot better knowing for real.

 

The door behind Erik creaked open and he turned, his arms still around his son, to see Charles sitting in the doorway with a perplexed look on his face. 

 

"You were projecting rather strange feelings both of you, what is going on?" he asked. Erik's huge shark like grin and Peter's red rimmed eyes did nothing to sooth the professors worries, until Erik leaned down and kissed Peters temple before replying to his boyfriend in a voice so filled with tears of happiness Peter almost couldn't believe it.  

 

"I have a son, Charles. Isn't wonderful?" 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
